Notifications, push alerts and emails

What it is

PunchMe notifications are the alerts that tell people something needs their attention, like a leave request waiting or a payslip ready. They arrive in three ways:

• Push notifications on the phone, from the employee app or the Manager app.
• In-app notifications, a list inside the Manager app and under the bell in the employee app.
• Emails, for a short list of important events.

Who uses it

• Employees get pushes in the employee app about their own requests, pay and company notices.
• Owners, HR and managers get in-app notifications and pushes in the Manager app about requests waiting for them. Some also come by email.

Where to find it

• Employee app: pushes appear on the phone. The bell next to the logo on Home has two sections: For you, your own in-app notifications such as leave, correction, expense and helpdesk decisions (unread first; tap one to mark it read), and company notices. A red dot means an unread notification or a notice you haven't opened.
• Manager app: More → Notifications. A red number on More shows how many are unread. Tap Mark all read to clear them. Tapping a notification opens the right screen, such as Approvals or a helpdesk ticket.
• Email: your inbox.

Turning it on or off

• On the phone: both apps ask for permission to show notifications. On Android 13 and newer, and on iPhone, you must tap Allow. You can change this later in your phone's settings for the app.
• On Android: the employee app uses a channel called "Updates". The Manager app uses "Approvals & alerts". You can mute either in Android settings.
• In PunchMe: there is no switch to turn off individual notification types.

What employees get

These are pushed to the employee's registered phone.

Shift reminders

Shift reminders can nudge employees before, at, or after shift start if they haven't checked in. They can also remind them to check out before, at, or after shift end if they are still checked in.

• They only go out on working days.
• They skip holidays and employees on approved leave.
• Each reminder is sent at most once per day.
• Shift reminders are not set up from the dashboard yet. Contact PunchMe support if you want them.

See Shifts.

What managers and owners get

These go to the in-app list in the Manager app. On Android, each one is also pushed to every phone where you are signed in to the Manager app.

Who counts. The owner always gets approval alerts. Other staff get them only if their role has the right permission and their scope covers the employee. Someone limited to one office only hears about that office. See Roles and permissions.

iPhone: the Manager app doesn't get push notifications yet. The in-app list still fills up, so open More → Notifications.

Emails

PunchMe only emails people about their own account and their own team's work. It does not send marketing emails, and PunchMe's own internal alerts never go to your inbox.

To employees:

• The 6-digit sign-in code.
• HR replied to your helpdesk ticket, or resolved it.
• A letter issued to you, when HR chooses to email it. See Letters.
• A pre-joining invite to fill in details. See Onboarding and exit.
• A security notice when the bank account for your salary changes.

To owners, HR and managers:

• Verify your email, reset your password, and team invites.
• New leave request, and leave needing final approval.
• New expense claim, and expense needing final approval.
• New loan or advance request.
• New helpdesk ticket.
• Resignation received.
• Wallet balance low, and payment due or account paused. See Billing and wallet.
• Trial ending in 7, 3 and 1 days, and trial ended (to the owner).

Corrections, flagged punches, profile changes and document reviews do not send email. They show in the Manager app and on the dashboard pages.

What happens when it's off

If someone denies notification permission on their phone:

• They get no pushes.
• Nothing else changes. Requests still reach approvers. Notices still show under the bell. Manager in-app notifications still collect in the list.

Changing it midway

• If an employee's device is reset, pushes stop going to the old phone. They start again on the new phone after sign-in. See Device binding.
• Signing out of the Manager app stops pushes to that phone.
• If you change someone's role or scope, the next notifications follow the new role.

Limits and edge cases

• Pushes depend on Google and Apple delivery. They can arrive late or not at all if the phone is off, offline, or in battery saver.
• Employees who have never signed in to the app get no pushes. Their in-app notes are skipped.
• The employee app bell shows the latest 50 of your own notifications under For you. The full result also shows in the matching tab, such as Leaves or Attendance.
• Company notices reach active employees only, and only while the company account is on trial or active.
• Tapping an employee push opens the app's Home tab, not a specific screen.

Related

• Notices
• Employee app
• Manager app
• Roles and permissions
• Device binding
• Billing and wallet

Common questions

An employee says they get no notifications.

Ask them to check that notifications are allowed for PunchMe in their phone settings and that battery saver isn't blocking the app. They must also be signed in on their registered phone.

Why don't I get push alerts on my iPhone in the Manager app?

Push isn't available in the iPhone Manager app yet. Check More → Notifications in the app.

Can I turn off emails for new leave requests?

Not at the moment. Every staff member who can approve a request gets the email. Change the person's role if they shouldn't approve that kind of request.

Who gets notified about flagged punches?

Owners and staff who can manage attendance for that employee. It shows in the Manager app list and as a push on Android. It doesn't send email.

How do I send a message to all employees?

Post a notice from the dashboard or from More → Post notice in the Manager app. Every active employee gets a push. See Notices.